Ana Urzua Alcaraz

The city’s police union spent heavily to gain control of the council and union-backed candidates won three seats. But it failed to oust Councilman Vincent Sarmiento, who is now seen as a swing vote on police issues.

With his own victory, and those by other police union-backed candidates in Santa Ana City Council races, Mayor Miguel Pulido appears to have regained much of the power he lost in the 2012 “Santa Ana Spring” election.